Tine Bruhn - Entranced

Tine Bruhn is a Danish-born, Berklee-educated jazz vocalist now living in New York. Ms. Bruhn recorded her first CD, Entranced, earlier this year releasing it on her own label, Inenomis Records, May 19th. She is also a composer and lyricist, writing three of the songs and penning lyrics to two Joshua Redman tunes. Obviously a talented vocalist, Ms Tyne has the kind of training and experience that turns raw talent into mastery. She began singing at an early age in a cappella groups and semi-pro choirs. She continued singing with a cappella groups in the U.S. while getting a degree from Berklee College of Music and receiving additional instruction from Cheryl Bentyne (Manhattan Transfer)...MORE

Andy Narell and Relator - University of Calypso

University of Calypso is fun. If that seems oversimplified, rest assured these are no simple musicians. They are calypso and jazz pros and what a joyful sound they make together. But, after all shouldn't music, despite any inherent complexity in performance, sound free, easy and most of all enjoyable? Well, Andy Narell, Relator and the rest of the crew make it happen on University of Calypso. I dare you to resist dancing when you hear the Latin-tinged "Hold On To Your Man."...MORE

Zap Mama - ReCreation

This is Marie Daulne’s 7th album with her group Zap Mama. From the original five-voice a cappella ensemble Zap Mama has evolved into an eclectic global mix of artists and styles. Daulne has developed a uniquely exciting multi-cultural musical language even as her very changeable life has swirled around her. She was born in The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire) to a Bantu mother and Belgian father. After her father was killed by rebels she was rescued by Pygmies, evacuated by Belgian paratroopers and raised in Belgium...MORE

Marion Meadows - Secrets

Marion Meadows likes to keep it real, and on his new CD, Secrets (Heads Up International) it is: real jazz, real smooth and most of all real artists. Although it is a studio album, he wanted it to have as much of a live feel as possible; so tech tricks are kept to a minimum. While there is some drum programming, it is done here better than most. And the players, rather than studio musicians brought in just for the recording gig, are for the most part artists who perform with Mr. Meadows on regular basis. Six of the 12 cuts (1, 2, 4, 5, 8 & 10) are written and produced by keyboardist and frequent Meadows partner (since In Deep, 2002), Michael Boening and all six feature Meadows with Boening on keyboard, Freddie Fox on guitar and Mel Brown on bass...MORE

Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Christian McBride, Kenny Garrett & Vinnie Colaiuta - Five Peace Band Live

Chick Corea and John McLaughlin are icons of jazz and jazz fusion and this is clearly a CD for their many fans and dedicated fans of improvisational jazz fusion in general. If you're not a real fan you might consider a double CD a bit too much retro fusion, if it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Generically, this group may not be breaking new ground, but that's not necessarily meant as criticism. Nobody does what is done here better than Chick Corea and John McLaughlin. And there's plenty to enjoy in this 2-disc set recorded live during the band's 2008 tour. According to Corea, from the liner notes, the band is just playing the music they enjoy. They didn't see the need to define guidelines for genre or influences. There was no intent to do cutting-edge...MORE

The Subdudes At The Hard Rock Cafe-Cavern Club, Boston, MA, June 8, 2009

The Subdudes are a five-member New Orleans roots R&B vocal and instrumental group. They appeared Monday, June 8, 2009 at the Cavern Club at the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston.

The Subdudes are unusual in several ways making it somewhat difficult to characterize their live performance in a few words. It is largely acoustic (the bass and two guitars are lightly amplified) and accessible, but there's a musical flamboyance, richness and mastery of material. As accordionist John Magnie recently said (The Music Box, April 2009, Volume 16, #4, written by John Metzger), one way to characterize the band's sound is like a "...Led Zeppelin approach to folk."...MORE

Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow & Antonio Sanchez - Quartet Live

This is what a live state-of-the-art modern jazz quartet should sound like after working together for decades: tight, attentive, reactive, and, of course, individually super talented. But this quartet was put together for a one-time performance by guitarist Pat Metheny for his By Invitation Series at the 2005 Festival International de Jazz de Montreal. Not that these jazz greats are unfamiliar to each other. They all have connections through Berklee College of Music and Burton, Metheny and Swallow were part of the memorable Gary Burton Quartet from 1974-1977 (Ring, Dreams So Real, Passengers). Although Sanchez was not part of that group he has played with Metheny for 10 years and appeared on Speaking of Now in 2002...MORE